Crutch and artificial limb.



A. E. MUELLER.

CRUTCH AND ARTIFICIAL LIME.

APPLICATION FILED FEB-16.1917.

1,25%,061 Patented Jan. 22, 1918.

1 22/61 $07 uiuguiEMueZler UNITED TATES PATENT @FFIQE.

AUGUST E. MUELLER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-THIRD TO THOMASJ. HRUBY AND ONE-THIRD TO OTTO J. I-IRUBY, BOTH OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CRUTCI-I AND ARTIFICIAL LIMIB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 22, 1918.

Application filed February 16, 1917. Serial N 0. 149,043.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, AUGUsT E. MUELLER, acitizen of Argentina, South America, and a resident of Chicago, in thecounty of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Crutches and Artificial Limbs; and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact descriptionthereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to thecharacters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in attachments for crutches,artificial limbs and the like and the invention consists in thecombination and arrangement of the parts shown in the drawings anddescribed in the specifications and is pointed out in the appendedclaims.

The purpose of the invention is to provide an attachment which may beused in connection with the stafi of an ordinary crutch in the nature ofa curved rocker or bearer of such length and of such curvature that thebody of the user is uniformly supported throughout the entire swing ofthe crutch when the user takes a step, so that thereby the user may takeordinary or normal lengths of steps comfortably and with out thenecessity of stooping forward when the crutch is first placed on theground at the beginning of a step and raising the shoulders upwardlythereafter during the middle portion of the step and leaning rearwardlyat the end of the step.

Other objects of the invention are to provide an attachment for crutchesof this character which may be safely and comfortably used on all kindsof roadways and the like.

I have shown in the drawings a number of forms of attachments which myinvention may assume, each adapted to the staff of an ordinary crutch oran artificial limb.

As shown in the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an ordinary crutch, showing one form ofmy rocker attachment applied thereto.

Fig. 2 illustrates a modification of the attachment.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4: illustrates a further modification of the attachment.

Fig. 5 illustrates a further form of the attachment that is adaited tobe applied to the lower end of an artificial limb.

Fig. 6 illustrates a device by which the crutch may be attached to thearm of the user to free the arm for other uses, taken on the lines 66 ofFig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a section on the line 77 of Fig. 1.

The crutch shown in Fig. 1 is provided with the usual stafl' 10 which issplit or divided a short distance from the lower end thereof to providethe usual side members 11, and which side members are attached in theusual way to the shoulder piece 12 of the crutch.

A rocker attachment embodying my invention embraces a curved bearercentrally to which the staff of the crutch is attached, and the ends ofthe curved bearer are so braced from the crutch staff as to provide, inconnection with the central attachment of the staff to the bearer, arigid connection be tween the bearer and crutch staff which may be madesuitably light, while at the same time of ample strength to transmit theweight thrown on the crutch.

In Figs. 1 and 7 the bearer proper 15 comprises a channel-shaped memberwhich may be made of either metal or wood, metal being preferred, andtwo braces 16, 16 are attached at their lower ends, as by means ofrivets or bolts 17, to the front and rear ends respectively of thebearer and said braces extend upwardly and inwardly toward the crutchstafi and are attached at their upper ends to the staff by means of abolt 18. The staff 10 of the crutch may engage into a socket 19 formedon the upper side of the bearer centrally thereof when the bearer ismade of metal; or said staff may be otherwise rigidly fixed to thebearer.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 7 the bearer has a cushioned tread consisting inthis instance of a pneumatic cushion 20 similar in nature to thepneumatic tire of a vehicle wheel.

' lVhen this form of cushion tread is em- -row in width, as indicated inFig. 3;

ployed a filling valve 21 is applied to the bearer for communicationwith the pneumatic cushion in the usual manner.

The-bearer 23 shown in Fig. 2, which may be made of wood, metal or anyother like suitable material, is provided with a solid cushion tread 24.The bearer 23, as well as the bearer 15 are preferably relatively nar-Instead of employing a cushion tread, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3and 7, I may employ a solid one piece bearer 25, such as is shown inFig. 5, which may be made of wood or other suitable-material. As shownin said Fig. 5, the bearer is adapted for use in connection with thestaff 27 of an artificial limb and the bearer is braced from said staffby braces 28, similar to the braces 16 shown in figures previouslydescribed.

In Fig. 4t is shown another form of bearer 30 which is made ofconsiderable width and is transversely flat. The said bearer iscentrally apertured to receive the lower end of the crutch staff, andbraces 31 are attached to the outer ends'of the bearer and to the crutchstaff 10 in the same general manner as in the previously describedfigures. Owing to the extra width of the bearer 30, however, the lowerends of thebraces are preferably bifurcated'and the two arms 32 r ofeach brace are riveted or otherwise suitably fixed to the upper face ofthe bearer.

The bearer 30is preferably provided with a cushion tread 33 made of aflat strip of rubber or the like.

Theforms of bearers shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7 inclusive areadapted for use on relatively hard unyielding roadways while the form ofbearer shown in Fig. l is especially adapted. to' use on yieldingground.

In each of the forms of the attachment shown the curvature of thebeareris such a step of normal length for the user to stoop forward, aswould be true if he were using an ordinary crutch, and the curvature ofthe bearer is such that the shoulder or shoulders of the user will moveforwardly in a 7 straight line throughout the length of the step. Theaction of the bearer is that of a roller or rocker. It is thereforeapparent By reason of this construc-.

that the use of the crutch is more convenient and more comfortable thanthe ordinary crutch, and it isfurther apparent that the length of stepof the user may be somewhat increased beyond a normal and comfortablestep than when using the ordinary crutch, and without undue bodilyexertion upon the part of the user. The action of the crutch is alsosmoother, and therefore more comfortable, than the ordinary crutch. Thesmoothness of the action of the crutch is increased by the use of thecushion'treads described. I The pneumatic cushion shown in Figs. 1 and 7contributes to'the greatest extent to the smoothness of action of thecrutch and its consequent comfortableness to the user. 7 i

It will be observed that the attachment described may be used with theordinary crutch or an artificial limb without any change in theconstruction of'the crutch or limb, except that necessary to fix theends of the braces 16-28, 31 to the crutch staff and to attach the staffto the bearer and that the attachment may be applied to the crutch orlimb at a nominal expense. 7 p

The attachment shown in Figs. 1 andYG by which the crutch may beattached to the arm of the'user to free the arm for other uses comprisesa'strap' 35, which may be of leather, stout tape, or the like, that isattached at one end to'onc of the members 11 ofthe crutch staff and isprovided at its other end with'an eye or socket 36 adapted to en 'age astud 37 on the other member-'11 of said staff. 1 Said strap is made of'alength to encircle the arm of the user when the arm hangs down alongsidethe crutch..stafi' as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 6. 'When the.strap so encircles the arm it affords A meansby which the crutch may besup ported by or suspended from the arm so as to leave the arm ofthe'user free for other uses, and to retain'the crutch in position to beconveniently grasped by the hand when the crutch is again to be broughtinto use. When the strap is not in use it may be folded and placedwithin a pocket 38 that is stretched between the members of the crutchstaff.

I claim as my invention: 7

1. An attachment for an ordinary single staff crutch comprising a bearerhaving a curved tread, withmeans located centrally between its endswhereby the crutch staff may be attached thereto, and means to brace theends of the bearer from the crutch staff stafi crutch comprising abearer having a curved tread, meanslocated centrally between the ends ofthe bearer whereby the crutch staff may be. attached to the bearer,

diagonal braces attached to the ends of the Chicago, Illinois, this 12thday of February, bearer and extending inwardly toward and 1917.

alcllqtgd etp be attached to sald stafi above AUGUST E. MUELLER. 5 InWitness whereof I claim the foregoing Witnesses:

as my invention, I hereunto append my sig- W. L. HALL,

nature in the presence of two Witnesses at A. E. WALBRIDGE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

